When Mark Beckford was summoned by the principal at Evans, he only could imagine what prompted the meeting.

Was he in trouble? Was it good news? Was he going to be asked to run an errand?

None of those things. Beckford, a rising senior wide receiver, was being asked for his opinion — and assistance.

The Trojans were seeking a football coach after enduring a 1-9 season under Chip Gierke and interim coach Alex Haynes in 2013. For the first time, some players, among them Ricky Rutland, Kelvin Rayner Jr., Wanya Washington and Beckford, were asked to be involved in the process.

"I was appalled," Beckford said. "Nobody has ever asked me to pick who would coach me."

Evans Principal Jenny Gibson-Linkh, athletic director Wanda Perdue and those players, about six in all, pored over more than 50 applications before hiring Richard Turner in March.

The Trojans will travel to Largo Pinellas Park for their spring game at 7 Thursday night.

"At least the kids weren't unprepared for what they were getting into," said Turner, formerly the offensive-line coach at Lake Wales in Polk County. "It's much better for the kids to know what I am about, instead of me having to tell everyone.

"They wanted to know what kind of offense we run, how we do discipline and what we're going to do to turn the program around, because 1-9 isn't acceptable at Evans High School."

Although not unheard-of, involving high-school players in vetting coaching candidates is not the norm.

Orange County athletic director Matthew Fitzpatrick first heard of the concept during a presentation at a national conference in December.

"I am intrigued by it," Fitzpatrick said. "I like the idea if you have the right people orchestrating that type of setting."

Seminole did when it was hiring a football coach a few years ago. Athletic director Mike Powers sought input from graduating players Serderius Bryant and Eric Farkas about who should coach the Seminoles.

They settled on Rob Vite, who resigned last offseason.

"If we involve students in the hiring process, they are graduating seniors, and their season is completed," Powers said. "We've never had a student or athlete that was going to play for that coach involved in the hiring process."

Evans, though, consulted with players who will return in the fall.

"The kids asked a lot of good questions of [Turner],'' Perdue said. "They talked scenarios, they talked football and Xs and Os, but they also talked about character-building. When he walked out, the players said they felt like he could come in, and they would start working on day one."

Perdue said the players considered the experience as educational.

"What two of them said was, they had no idea the process that goes into getting a job, let alone a coach," Perdue said. "They said they really had a lot more respect for how a coach is chosen."

Beckford did.

"It was one of the biggest decisions I have ever made in my life, because it helped determine my future," Beckford said. "He can help us get to a [Division I] college, and we can make some big things happen on the field."